


Èpanouissement

by hypaalicious



Category: Final Fantasy XV, Kushiel's Legacy - Jacqueline Carey
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Porn with too much plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-12 17:25:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11741763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hypaalicious/pseuds/hypaalicious
Summary: The story of an unlikely attraction between a captivating and talented adept of Heliotrope House and an infamous seasoned courtesan from Mandrake reminds them both how to trust in Naamah's grace.





	Èpanouissement

**Author's Note:**

  * For [louisvuittontrashbags](https://archiveofourown.org/users/louisvuittontrashbags/gifts).



> I wrote some [ridiculously](https://hypaalicious.tumblr.com/post/163239463504/the-adepts-of-the-night-court-dangelineffxv) [detailed](https://hypaalicious.tumblr.com/post/163294554254/the-adepts-of-the-night-court-dangelineffxv) [HCs](https://hypaalicious.tumblr.com/post/163312915889/the-adepts-of-the-night-court-dangelineffxv) getting way too into putting the [FFXV characters into Terre d'Ange](https://hypaalicious.tumblr.com/post/163330414944/if-the-chocobros-really-were-dangeline-theyd). I do believe I'm just winding up to write this whole damn series involving the chocobros in their own version of the Kusheline Trilogy.
> 
> So writing this as thanks to one of my baes really was as much as a gift for me as I meant it for her. Thanks for letting me indulge on your behalf.

Making his way up the worn but sturdy steps of the dungeon, he got to the top and let the door swing shut behind him, muffling the screams and other noises that were normal for Mandrake house but would deeply disturb anyone else not accustomed to the atmosphere. Turning his head to the side, he saw the usual grouping of newly initiated adepts waiting for instruction, their eyes looking up at him in awe and just a little bit of fear.

Normally, he would put on a bit of a show, puffing out his chest more than usual and holding their gazes just long enough for them to look away. He had an image to upkeep, after all… and it was one that he enjoyed immensely.

But this time, he wordlessly kept walking until he got to the bathhouse, his pace brisk and firm as the adepts scrambled to catch up to him. He couldn’t help doing that much; a smirk graced his lips as he reached his destination, and the humidity of the constantly heated pools greeted him in return. Cloying scents of cedarwood and myrrh met his nose as he made his way over to a stool in the corner of the large room and removed his robe before sitting down, handing it off to the waiting arms of the eager adept that reached for it. He zoned out a bit as the routine commenced, his boots were removed and the tie that held his taupe locks back was undone, leaving his hair to half shroud his face.

“Okay, come off it. What’s the matter with you, Gladiolus?” 

His eyelids fluttered in barely concealed exasperation at the familiar voice. “A man can’t get any peace even in the bathhouses, I see. What do you want, Lonan?”

“So touchy. Can’t I check up on a dear friend?” The man named Lonan replied, suffusing his voice in a surprisingly convincing amount of concern. Gladio supposed it would have worked if he didn’t know any better. _Fucking Shahrizai_. He just stared at the face of his “friend” as an adept finished scrubbing out the remnants of blood underneath his fingernails and scurried off, not really wanting to be between the Kusheline noble and the most popular and well-known courtesan Mandrake house currently held. He raised his body from the stool, sweeping past Lonan and sinking down in the nearest pool of scalding hot water. A grateful hiss left Gladio’s lips as he felt his muscles and his nerves start to relax, and Lonan unabashedly pulled up a stool and sat himself right down next to him.

“Go away,” Gladio said with his eyes closed, determined to actually enjoy his bath.

“No. I’ve heard rumors that you were going soft, so of course I had to see for myself.” His black plaited hair swung slightly as he tilted his head and braced his elbows on his knees to peer at the man below him. “I’d _so_ hate to see you fall from grace, Gladio.”

“I’m sure,” he flatly replied, reluctantly opening his eyes. Gladio knew as well as the next that there would be little more satisfying to Lonan than if that were to happen to him. He knew that it chafed him to no end that Gladio had the infamy of being the personification of Mandrake’s tenant without particularly trying to achieve that title, when someone who actually had the blood of the Punisher God himself running through his veins could only claim second best. Lonan was good, as all Shahrizai were inclined to be at dealing out the sharper pleasures. But he was also rather brash in his relative youth despite excelling in all the right areas, while Gladio was completely unconcerned with rushing anything to completion. That worked towards the latter’s benefit in almost everything he did.

Except for one tiny area in which Gladio almost wished that he had Lonan’s impulsivity. _Almost._

“I know who she is.”

 _Of course he does._ Taking his time before replying, knowing that lying would be futile but also reluctant to confirm what the clever Shahrizai thought he knew, Gladio schooled his features into impassivity before opening his mouth. “Really?”

Lonan smiled, his sapphire eyes twinkling in mirth. “Because I like you, I’ll be straightforward. She’s a Heliotrope adept by the name of Suha. Quite promising, if the stories are true. She takes to her patrons with ease, and should be set to complete her marque in a few months should she keep her current pace. Which means… you don’t have a lot of time.”

“…time for what?”

“To break her, of course.”

He didn’t even realize what he was doing before he had a fistful of Lonan’s expensive nobleman clothes tightly in his grip, yanking the smaller man off of the flimsy stool and almost right into the hot water that separated them. Gladio was standing up, bath water streaming down his muscular body and glaring daggers at the man he effortlessly held aloft. Despite his newly precarious situation, Lonan’s grin only widened in triumph in the ease in which he found a button to press.

“Come now, Gladio. You know what we are. We don’t revel in the flourishing of delicate saplings, reaching brightly to the sun with neverending innoxiousness. We are the ones that take joy in the crushed petals, wilted flowers and twisted weeds that are brought about by our own hand. You’ll discover something within her, however small, to draw out in an excruciating penance she won’t know she’s asking for. And while she’s writhing at your feet for things she can scarce fathom, you’ll find completion and yourself again. What could be better?”

It took a considerable amount of self-control for Gladio not to chuck the mouthy bastard into the water and hold him down until he stopped sputtering. He knew that’s what Lonan wanted, holding a morsel of his unlikely infatuation over his head as bait. He hated how he got under his skin, calling to everything he was trained for with deadly precision while invoking tendrils of the closest thing to self-loathing Gladio had ever felt in his life. Releasing a strained breath, he pushed Lonan back to his seat with enough force to almost send him toppling backwards, forcing himself to sink back into the waters that were meant to relax him.

“I can think of something better than all of that; you shutting up or leaving me alone. Preferably both, and immediate.”

Lonan laughed, idly straightening out the mass of wrinkles in his shirt that were the result of the impromptu manhandling he coaxed out of Gladio. “Ah, but I didn’t even get to tell you of the present I got for you.”

Gladio appraised him with a healthy amount of suspicion. “You really think me stupid enough to accept any sort of ‘present’ from you?”

“Even if it was her?”

The lingering pause that stretched the silence between them told Lonan everything he needed to know. “I’ve arranged for a private Showing at Heliotrope, featuring the unlikely apple of your eye. They are under the assumption that it is on my own behalf, but I’m sure the Dowayne wouldn’t mind if you showed in my stead. Of course, you are within your full rights to refuse… but I won’t be wasting the opportunity to see her in action.”

Just the thought of having someone like Lonan watch her lose herself in ecstasy was enough to make Gladio want to punch something. _Blast. He has me by the balls with this._ “Fine. I’ll bite. When is it?”

“You have a few days,” Lonan said simply, standing up from the stool and finally preparing to leave Gladio to his bath now that he had completed his task. “I do hope that my stint in kindness doesn’t come back to bite me. But I really couldn’t stand to watch you _pine_. It doesn’t suit you.”

Gladio listened to the footsteps retreating as his eyes focused on the wisps of steam rising from the hot water that surrounded him. There was something ironic at being told by a fellow D'Angeline that pining was untoward of him. 

But it didn’t matter, because Gladiolus Valliers nó Mandrake wasn’t pining. _Especially_ not over a woman he only saw once in passing at a fete and knew next to nothing about. That would be foolish.

Just as foolish as him finding himself at the doors of Heliotrope days later, a hood drawn over his head in an effort to look less noticeable despite his hulking frame and dark wardrobe that stood out like a sore thumb amongst the lighter, gayer countenance that made up Namaah’s house of devotion.  
_________

“Are you nervous, Suha?” Prompto leaned over to peer at his friend as she checked her light makeup over again in the mirror in front of her. “It’s not like you haven’t done one of these before.”

She shifted a bit on the chair at the vanity, looking at the blond’s reflection next to her. She didn’t know how he could be so carefree, even excited about being featured in a private Showing in which she wasn’t even allowed to know who specifically requested her. Granted, she knew that Prompto had a thing for performing in such a manner, jumping at the chance to have an audience no matter the type, but she wished she could share his enthusiasm. _Maybe it would make this foreboding feeling go away._

“I know, but why me? It bothers me that they went out of their way to ask for me when I’ve no idea who it is,” her warm brown eyes followed every perceived imperfection on her person, reaching up to tuck a few strands of her long dark hair behind her ear.

“Oooh, mayhap it’s a secret admirer,” Prompto grinned, draping his arms over Suha’s shoulders while letting his chin rest on the crown on her head. “They’re like to steal you from me. Shall I put on a good show? Suggest a duel to the death? No, I’m definitely more of a lover than a fighter… I could just faint. Like this,” he tumbled dramatically from his perch behind Suha to the floor, complete with the back of his hand to his forehead.

“Gods, get _up_ , Prom,” she laughed, shaking her head and swatting down in his general direction. He complied, smiling at the fact that he got her to lighten up a little with his theatrics. Suha lifted herself from her own seat and tightened her robe around her frame, taking a breath to steady herself before turning and walking to the door. She was still a bit antsy, but felt better that she had Prompto with her. They were quite familiar with each other, as many adepts were within their respective houses, but they had bonded quickly due to their debuts coinciding with each other. Prompto was initially a shy one, making Suha think that perhaps he would have been better suited had Alyssum bought his marque, but over time his true essence blossomed into something that couldn’t even pretend to be demure.

“Ready, my one true love?” He asked her right before they would cross the curtain that separated them from the audience of one, reaching out and gently squeezing her hand. Suha looked into Prompto’s fluttering lashes, grateful for all of his efforts to bring her back to herself. _I don’t know why this is bothering me so much; it’s just one person, not a crowd of strangers._ Putting the brunt of her focus on the feel of the hand holding hers, they stepped through to the other side of the stage where they would be performing, and she couldn’t help her eyes from searching the darkened audience for the mystery viewer. She saw the silhouette of someone near the back, but was hard pressed to make out any details before Prompto gave her a slight tug to remind her to maintain proper decorum during the Showing. She pried her vision away from the unknown and to what was directly in front of her, finding comfort in Prompto’s violet eyes that twinkled every time she looked at him. He stepped forward, cupping her cheek in his soft, warm palm that Suha instantly melted into.

The moment she felt his lips upon hers, she was able to forget about everything else.  
_______

Gladio knew it was a big mistake to fall right into whatever Lonan’s plan was the moment Suha stepped on the stage and let her eyes settle on him without her realizing it. Both his cock and his heart jumped at the glance in unison, and he took to cursing Naamah in his head in order to try to regain a bit more control over the situation. Of course, it probably was even _less_ of a good idea to take out his frustration on the goddess of desire that must have led him to such an unlikely setting, but he was sorely out of his element and was feeling every bit of it as time went by.

And he was unused to feeling displaced.

Gladio had been to many Showings in his life; the first being at Cereus House. Even though he eventually ended up aligning with Mandrake, it was good that he experienced the best that the Night Court had to offer as his first study into Naamah’s arts. Since then, most of his ventures had been exclusively at either Valerian or Mandrake, learning the finer techniques of punishment and the way they could intertwine with sexual pleasure. Gladio’s interest in those were always of a clinical nature, saving the intoxication of desire for his assignations and the patrons that willingly submitted to his hands.

But now, he felt overly affected by what should have been a regular Showing, and it was all because of who it involved. Shifting a bit in his seat, he watched the initial tension that Suha had when she entered melt away the moment the blond one kissed her, and started memorizing how she reacted to each new stimulus that was presented without him being fully aware he was doing so. Her faint sighs carried easily through the empty room, sending shivers through his body that he staved off by gripping the sides of the chair. Their robes were quickly yet artfully discarded, and the nearly completed marque that was limmed from the nape of her neck to the base of her spine stood out as much as Lonan’s words from earlier. _He certainly has done his research._ Gladio’s eyes focused on the swell of her bottom as she stepped forward to an open embrace, and twitched a bit as the male adept’s hand came into view to caress it.

_Jealousy is foolish, so don’t let it engulf you._

Despite the pep talk he was attempting to give himself, Gladio still found his nerves on edge the more the Showing went on. He couldn’t stop from comparing himself to her partner for the evening, or from overanalyzing the smiles and the way they looked at each other. He was naturally discerning, and he could pick up a sort of intimacy that wasn’t just for the performance. It folded nicely into Heliotrope’s tenant, and Gladio understood why they were paired… but he didn’t like it.

And if he was being brutally honest, he would admit that the only person he’d be happy seeing with Suha would be himself.

Gladio tried dealing with his unfortunate predicament by visualizing himself as the man causing the pleasure to the woman that was the entire reason he was there, but there were things that kept him from fully immersing himself in the experience no matter how much he wanted to. If he kept his eyes open, then he was pummeled with the constant visual reminder that he wasn’t this soft, loving paramour that knew all of the right places to touch to coax the sounds from her throat that were sure to haunt him in the nights to come. When he opted to close them, Suha’s moans became warped into screams, images of her kneeling naked before him on the cracked stones of the dungeon he all but lived in, his hand fisted in her long hair. There was no relief for his errant thoughts no matter how hard he tried to keep them in line, and he knew he had better discipline than that.

But he couldn’t help the creeping insecurities that besieged him the more he watched the Showing progress. Gladio wasn’t gentle, soothing, or loving in the conventional sense. He was tall, formidable, and muscular; all things that served him quite well in Mandrake but the complete opposite of what he supposed would be best suited for the woman of his insistent focus. Conflicting emotions swirled in his chest and threatened to drive him as insane as the continuous pressure his breeches were putting on his member, and his hand drifted carelessly to his crotch before he balled up his fist and made a concentrated effort to not devolve into a sixteen-year-olds impulse no matter how secluded he was.

“Prom…”

Gladio’s eye twitched. Her beautiful voice was moaning out _someone else’s name._ He was glaring daggers at the man who was currently above Suha on the bed, treating her to long luxurious strokes that had her back arching wonderfully up from the sheets. Layered over the scene in front of him was her arched back displayed to him in a different fashion, lovingly scored with lashes and begging for more of Kushiel’s grace. He flinched then, shaking his head as if it were a web that could be ripped away.

_“We are the ones that take joy in the crushed petals, wilted flowers and twisted weeds that are brought about by our own hand.”_

He hated that bastard Lonan. He hated the one named Prom that was everything he could never be. And he hated himself for being so utterly hopeless.

_Damn it all. I’m getting her out of my system tonight. Naamah, I hope you’ll be pleased with what you’ve constructed._

Standing up from his seat, he crossed easily to the door and whipped it open, stepping out and scanning the empty hallway. _Well, at least I can count on Lonan in the areas of discretion._ Not bothering with the hood on his all but forgotten cloak, he rounded a corner and was greeted with the desk at which the Dowayne was currently seated.

“Oh, is the Showing complete already, my Lord?” Marielle nó Heliotrope blinked up at him in surprise, making to rise from her seat when her eyes followed the velvet satchel of money that was thrown in front of her to land with a heavy thump.

“Suha. Have her ready for me in one of the receiving rooms. Post haste.”

She was idly worried about how well her talented and one of the most prized adepts her house contained would fare right after a Showing, and with this particular patron no less. But as she looked into his hardened amber eyes, she couldn’t help but allow the faint hint of a smile grace her delicately colored lips. _Naamah’s grace has led another to an unlikely conclusion_. “Certainly, my Lord.” She watched his retreating figure for a moment before sweeping to the right door that would intercept the two that should be finishing their session, and hoped that Suha would be up to the task.  
______________

Stepping back through the curtain and wrapping her robe around her once more, Suha had a big smile on her face and was feeling a lot better than she was when she started. She turned to meet Prompto’s infectious smile and instead saw that his gaze was focused at a place somewhere past her. She had only begun to turn around when she heard the familiar melodious voice of the dowayne behind her.

“Suha. I need you prepared for an assignation as soon as possible,” Marielle placed a hand on her shoulder and tucked some of her brown hair behind her ear as she fixed her blue eyes on her adept. She saw Suha’s complexion blanch lightly, and gave her a reassuring smile. “It seems like you made quite an impression, and I couldn’t be prouder. Prompto, do you mind assisting her?”

“Not at all. Come, adept of the evening,” Prompto grabbed the shellshocked Suha by the hand and led her away to the nearby washrooms, navigating her to sit on a stool while he prepared a fresh rag and a bucket of scented rose water while he hummed an idle tune.

“How can you be so excited about this?” Suha muttered, trying to keep her heart rate normal.

“Because I was right; you _do_ have a secret admirer, and you impressed them enough to be whisked away in the middle of the night. You should be proud of yourself!” He removed the robe and effortlessly got to work wiping her body down. “I had this happen to me a few times before. They were always the most exciting patrons, full of pent up desire and eagerness…” Prompto trailed off and sighed, taking a few of his fingers to tilt Suha’s chin upwards. “Please, love, there’s nothing to worry about.”

She nodded slightly, hoping that his words would sink into whatever was pulling at her nerves again. He placed his lips gently on her forehead before stepping back and allowing Suha to walk past him and down the hall in a daze to the room in which she would finally be meeting her mystery patron. Refusing to pause before opening the door, she made sure she was firmly in the room with it closed behind her before looking across to see the towering figure on the other side.

When he turned around to finally face her, both of their breaths hitched for completely different reasons. His was because he was finally in the presence of the one he wanted with no other distractions, while hers was in recognition of the infamous courtesan of Mandrake and the realization that her nerves were prodding her all night for a reason. That reason was in front of her now, his presence completely filling the room and making her feel slightly suffocated with his intensity. _Oh, mighty Kushiel, have mercy on me tonight._ Suha took a moment to clear her throat before speaking out loud. “My lord-”

“Gladiolus,” he interrupted, and the naturally deep timbre of his voice sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. “I’d rather you address me by name, not by title.”

“As you wish… Gladiolus,” Suha tested his name on her tongue, and found it as beautiful as the flower from which it was derived. Her brown eyes studied him with more curiosity than fear now, just with that added familiarity that he offered to her freely. His face was fiercely exquisite, dark features carving out an almost divine countenance that immediately put her in mind of Elua’s most savage Companion. The lighting was dim, but his umber irises were aglow with a fire that was lit from within. Suha was drawn to it despite herself and her earlier apprehension that had yet to fully dissipate. She stepped forward slowly, closing the distance between them and craning her neck to continue maintaining eye contact.

Gladio looked down at her figure, impressed with her bravery yet being highly sensitive to her undercurrent of unease that she tried hiding from both herself and him. But like a bloodhound who had lighted upon the first hint of the hunt, his fingers tingled with an urge he desperately wanted to follow through on. His nostrils flared, taking in the faint scent of roses and Suha’s unique pheromones, and his eyelids fluttered closed for just a moment.

“Tell me something, Suha,” he said, his long eyelashes fanned out against his skin. “Are you frightened?”

She hesitated before responding, unsure of how she should phrase things. “I… suppose it depends on what you want to do to me.”

His hand had found the back of her head without him even looking and Suha seeing it fully happen. Her neck muscles strained with the sudden tension as she stared wide-eyed at Gladio, her breathing shallow as he finally lifted his lids to gaze at her.

She thought she heard a strange ringing in her ears, like metal sliding against itself.

“I’m afraid that what I’d like to do to you may be outside of your tastes and expertise,” he murmured, entranced by the throbbing pulse point in her neck. “Unless… you have any aciculate desires you wish to share with me.”

Suha gasped at the feel of his well-trimmed facial hair along her cheek, and felt a continuous full body shiver take her over. His grip tightened even more in her strands, and she felt as if she was walking a precarious tightrope that was primed to snap. She had no longing for the kind of pleasure his house was known for, but still there was a part of her that responded to the unfurling of Gladiolus in his element, poised to strike like a cobra.

She teetered there, waiting with baited breath for a cue she knew she would have to give.

Gladio was swimming in his own untapped prowess, letting honed instincts over many years of practice guide him through his craving and turn it into something useful. If Suha answered by shifting into _abeyante_ position, he would let the brunt of his frustrations that had culminated over the past few weeks crash down on both of them. Even without his array of tools, he would make Kushiel proud even while he ravaged her until he was well and fully sated.

_“You’ll discover something within her, however small, to draw out in an excruciating penance she won’t know she’s asking for.”_

“Gladiolus,” Suha spoke, her voice strong despite her forced vulnerable position and the overwhelming proximity of the man who grasped her without any inclination of release. “I must remind you that Heliotrope’s canon does not allow for spilled blood within its walls, lest it’s an adept’s virgin night.”

He blinked. The ringing of bronze wings dissipated, fading to the background of both of their minds as he coaxed his fingers to relinquish his hold on her soft brown hair. Suha subtly let out a sigh of relief, tension flowing out of her body and into the floor through her feet once Gladio took a step back. Opening her mouth to perhaps ask how else he may like the rest of the evening to go, she let it hang open as she watched him step around her and head for the door.

“Where are you going?”

He placed his hand on the doorknob. “I’m sorry, Suha. I shouldn’t be here.” Gladio refused to look at her, instead preferring to train his vision to the designs in the carpet as he replied.

“Why not?”

He paused before releasing a bit of a laugh, and he lifted his head to contemplate the woman he wanted but was entirely convinced that he didn’t deserve to have. “What can someone like me offer to you but pain? I’m better off leaving you to your dove-like paramours with their soft curves and gentle ministrations. Forgive me for imposing… I thank you for indulging me this evening.” Giving her a small nod, he turned the knob and prepared to walk out.

“Wait!” Suha lifted a hand as if to grab him by the cloak despite their distance being much too far to even attempt what she did by impulse alone. Surprisingly, he paused with the door slightly cracked, and she took a cautious step forward. “You asked for me, and I don’t leave these kinds of encounters to chance, Gladiolus. There is no one undeserving of Naamah’s comfort, least of all yourself. It would be unbecoming of me to not properly represent my house after you’ve come all this way. So, please; let me entertain you.”

She bit her lip, waiting for the moment in which Gladio would ignore her pleas and walk out of the room and his brief yet impressionable dalliance in her life. Suha was quite proud of herself for not showing any outward signs of mollification when he closed the door with a slight click, and turned to face her once more.

_I surprised him earlier, and am probably going to have to steer this assignation for both of our sakes._

She walked forward and carefully undid the clasp that held his dark cloak around his shoulders, letting it fall from him enough to gather it up and place it neatly to the side. Suha looked at his bare arms for the first time, marveling over the curves the muscles carved out in them before unfastening the first buckle that was on his red and black vest. She glanced up at him in almost a demure fashion as she unhurriedly worked, wanting to see how he would react to her undressing him. Most of Suha’s patrons wouldn’t stop caressing her while she did this part, falling directly into the illusion of coming home to one’s partner after a long day at work, but Gladio was as stiff as a board as she opened his top and worked it off of his broad frame.

“Are all the Valliers as built as the mountains in which your family resides, Gladiolus?” Suha asked lightly as she placed the intricate vest on top of the cloak.

“My father can still give me a run for my money, so I would say yes,” he replied. Thinking of his father brought a bit of a smile to his face, seeing as though he married a woman from Namarre that had turned Clarus Valliers as pliant as the green plains that from which she hailed. _He’d never let me hear the end of this if he knew where his son was right now, as I swore to him when I was younger and more foolish that I’d not be the one that would go soft._

Catching the eating of his facial features upon mention of his family, she took him by the hand and guided him to the edge of the bed where she bade him sit. “You _are_ allowed to touch me, you know,” Suha pointed out, touching his right shoulder with her fingertips and trailing her fingers down to his bicep. His skin was smooth and hot yet not fevered, and she yearned to feel him against her.

“I know, Suha. But…” Gladio trailed off, his eyes slightly averted. “Contrary to popular belief, I don’t wish to harm you, and I’m afraid that’s all these calloused hands are good for.”

She responded by undoing the belt that held her robe together and let it fall from her naked body. The delicate material pooled at her feet, and Gladio’s mouth went a little dry at the sight of it for the second time that evening. Only now, she was unveiling herself for him, and that made all the difference.

Stepping forward so that she was standing between his legs, she sank easily to her knees once she was there and got to work unlacing his boots and placing them to the side before undoing the top of his pants and easing them down his legs to follow. She treated everything with care, making sure that it was situated properly before repositioning herself and looking up at his face. _I wonder if this is how people feel when they ask for penance at a Kusheline temple, begging at the feet of an effigy of the Punisher._

Gladio just gazed down at her, feeling the warmth her body radiated on his inner thighs. _I can only imagine how exquisite she’d look bound in rope from this angle._ He forcibly pushed that image to the back of his mind, not wanting to aggravate himself to expect delights he wasn’t going to indulge in no matter the temptation. Luckily, he soon had help keeping those errant thoughts at bay when he felt her lips upon his member, and clutched the sheets as she took to the _languissement_ with all of the training that Heliotrope gave her. Gladio panted as he watched Suha’s pink tongue swirl around the head before taking all of him within her mouth in one fluid motion, her hair curtaining the sides of her face as she worked. Of course he had others do the same to him multiple times, but he strained with the significant amount of effort it took for him keep his hands on either side of him and fingers bunching up the fabric there rather than reaching for her hair and forcibly thrusting himself into her throat.

Suha looked up at him through her eyelashes as she hollowed out her cheeks around his considerable girth, running her hands along the sensitive skin of his inner thighs before allowing one of them to cup his balls as she sucked. She could feel the tension rolling off of him, the corded muscles bunching visibly as Gladio’s breathing became labored. After a few more moments of orally appreciating his member, she detached her mouth from him and demurely wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before standing up. Opting to ghost her fingers then along his shoulders, she gave him a little bit of a massage as she explored how tightly wound he was.

“Gladiolus, you shouldn’t be afraid to touch me,” Suha purred, stepping closer to him still until her thighs were brushing against his and her breasts were enticingly close to his face.

His eyes flickered across her chest before seeking her face. “I don’t wish to-”

“Hurt me? Then don’t,” she took one of his arms by the wrist and let the sheets fall from his grip before placing his palm against the side of her breast. She started a sensual path, using his roughened digits to trace it around her mounds before settling on her nipple. “Who were you before Mandrake bought your marque?”

He blinked, distracted by the feel of her pert nipple underneath his palm, and her soft fingers that held him there. “I was… simply Gladio.”

Suha smiled and bent to touch her forehead with his. “Then be yourself. Whoever your soul was before they shaped you into what they demand of you, I want to embrace it. I need you to accept it, so you can truly have me.” Her other hand had reached for his unoccupied one and started guiding it down her side before encouraging it to cup her ass.

It seemed like every cell in his body was crying out for him to grab her, for him to satiate that driving urge that was intertwined with even the barest hint of desire. Just to leave red marks all over her fair skin and a few bruises for her to admire in the mirror while he was gone, anticipating the next time he would arrive to grace her body with more. But Gladio truly wanted Suha beyond those silly urges, in the purest of ways that he wasn’t sure he was capable of.

But she was convinced that he was.

Hinging his actions on her words alone, he closed his eyes and angled his face so that his lips could meet her own. Her mouth was pliant and welcoming, letting his tongue run along her teeth before he engulfed her mouth. Suha tasted as sweet as honey to him, and was someone he believed he could simply kiss for hours and not tire of it. Her hands left his and reached forward to tuck a few errant strands of hair away from his face even though her own long hair tickled him, and Gladio’s heart warmed at the amount of care that she put into that simple notion.

 _Don’t get attached; you know the house canon. She’s just doing her job._ Despite knowing that, he let himself fall eagerly into it, leaning back onto the mattress and taking Suha with him as carefully as he could manage. Gladio no longer entertained ideas of her beautifully breaking, but it was odd for him to handle someone as if they were a precious object in a normal sense. She straddled him nicely as he stretched out without either of them breaking the dance of lips and tongue that they held.

Suha was convinced that it was only by Naamah’s grace that she was able to melt the burnished man into such a malleable state for the assignation to go as well as it currently was. She had gone from scared to tentatively confident in a short amount of time, and the growing curiosity that she had about Gladio only grew unchecked in place of her jittery nerves. What had brought him here, to a house in which he would never ordinarily patronize? Why was he so willing to hold back on the pointed nature that which he had suffused into his psyche to the point where he felt he had to leave?

And if she kept going with those questions, even as her legs settled on either side of his hips and his hands settled firmly on her own, why didn’t she want him to leave when it was all over? Why did she have this honest burning need to figure out what made him tick? And why was it abnormally pleasing to her ears to note every little groan he emitted whenever she experimentally ground down on him? 

Suha didn’t know this man. But she wanted to.

When she leaned back to look down at him, he smiled, and her heart skipped a beat on how well it opened up his normally imposing face. Suha took a few self-indulgent moments to gaze at him with his shoulder length mahogany hair splayed out on the pillow around him. 

“See something that you like?” He teased as she continued looking at him as if he were an art exhibit.

“Of course I do. I never knew that such a bloodthirsty flower could look so cherubic in the right circumstances.” Suha lifted herself and positioned his cock at her entrance, and his fingers tightened in anticipation at her sides.

“You don’t need to flatter me overmuch; ‘cherubic’ isn’t a term I would ever-” Gladio’s speech broke off suddenly as she sank herself down upon him slowly. Her heat was warm and enveloping, and his eyes fluttered closed as he adjusted to all the sensations of finally being inside her.

“You can’t see yourself the way I do, Gladiolus,” Suha said as she started moving. “I can’t imagine many people are given that opportunity, but I recognize it for the honor that it is.”

He let her set the pace for awhile, simply reveling in the experience of being ridden by such a beautiful woman. He was able to open his eyes and take in the sway of her breasts and the swell of her hips as she moved. Suha had said all the right things to him that evening, and he figured that her training had taught her to be discerning and accommodating in that fashion, but he desperately wanted to believe that it was also of her own volition. That need translated into his actions, thrusting his hips upwards to meet her and eventually taking control of pace and leaving Suha defenseless in his ardor.

“Ah, Gladio…” she breathed out in between thrusts, her hair swaying as she braced her arms on his chest and throwing her head back at the feel of his member hitting all of the right spots within her. He decided he would never get tired of hearing his name fall from her lips. _If I could be the only one whose name you called, it would be perfect. Too perfect to be real, which is why I’ll hold dear every moment that I’ve been afforded tonight._ He increased the pace then, coaxing more sounds out of her that was like the purest music to his ears. Suha eventually leaned forward to rest her chest against his, burying her face in the crook of his neck and breathing heavy puffs of air on his skin there.

“Suha…” Gladio tugged on her as gently as he could despite the need that was currently having him snapping his hips at almost a bruising pace into her. “Let me see you when you cum. Please.”

And so, Suha lifted her head from its comfortable perch to look into his amber eyes, allowing him to memorize her expression, the way her pupils dilated and her mouth parted, and the exact moment she crested upon her release and how it seemed to transform her. Taking all of that in at once was what got him following her shortly afterwards, groaning deeply as he held her close to him as he emptied himself within her. Gladio moved her hair off of her back a bit to touch her damp skin, wanting the direct contact with her as they rode it out together.

Gladio wasn’t sure how much time had passed with her in his embrace, but it was warm and enveloping and effectively discouraging him from disentangling his limbs from hers any time soon. He knew that the assignation had to end, and he would have to relinquish Suha to the whims of her house and her other duties… but he just nuzzled his face in her hair and breathed deeply.

Suha chuckled a bit. “You didn’t hurt me at all, love.”

He tried ignoring how his heart skipped at the unexpected pet name, and failed spectacularly. “Only if you want me to. And even then, never more than you can handle.”

Suha raised herself up enough to look down at him. “Well, I can say that you’re the only Mandrake patron I have ever entertained. I can’t imagine anyone else from your house being this accepting of the softer arts.”

Gladio immediately thought of Lonan, and for once wasn’t overcome with the urge to punch him on principle. _It helps now to know that he did not ascertain his information about Suha in a carnal fashion. Perhaps his gift was nothing but that, for once_. “It wasn’t the art that brought me to your chambers, Suha. It was you.”

She actually blushed at his blunt honesty, and found herself at a loss for words. Suha wasn’t new to being flattered in similar ways, but when he said it, it resonated with her. “So… I suppose that this means you’ll be making a return visit?” She managed while using her hair to try and hide how his words affected her.

Gladio bade her to lay back down on his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair, closing his eyes and feeling a type of peace he had not found in a few weeks. “I’d say you can expect it. But for now, let us enjoy the rest of this one.”

**Author's Note:**

> The title means "blossoming" in French. 
> 
> My French is terrible, btw.


End file.
